Who can Sue when a Freelancer is Discriminated Against?

Freelancers take note: Under Minnesota Law if you have formed an LLC or other business entity and you experience discrimination at the hands of one of your clients, as an individual you cannot make a claim under Minnesota’s Human Rights Act (Minn. Stat. § 363A.17 (2008)), which authorizes parties to a business contract to sue for business discrimination in the performance of that contract.

The Minnesota Supreme Court reasoned in Krueger v. Zeman Construction Co. that the focus of the statue was the relationship of the parties, not on the individual subject to the discrimination. As a result, the court argued that an individual employee, even one that is a single member owner of an LLC, is not the intended beneficiary of the statute and therefore they cannot file a lawsuit in their individual capacity.

While I generally believe freelancers should consider business entities like LLC over that of sole proprietorship, this case provides a stark example of how there are some disadvantages to forming a separate legal entity and an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages should always be considered.

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Kunkle Law PLC is a Twin Cities (Roseville) law firm serving clients in greater Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the rest of Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, Carver, Scott, and Dakota counties. Trademark services are provided across the United States, Europe, the middle east, Africa, and Australia.